A spoon is an imaginary unit of energy used by people with illnesses and disabilities. These people use spoons to describe daily activites with a limited source of energy.

The Spoon Theory was developed by Christine Miserandino, a woman with Lupus to describe units of energy to her friend. She gave her friend a handful and asked her friend to list her morning routine. As each activity was said, a spoon was removed from the handful.

For example, getting out of bed costs "one spoon", and getting dressed/showering costs two or three.